Waiter&#39;s tray



Mar. 13, 1923. 1,448,558 F. F. MAGG] WAITER S TRAY Filed Mar. 22, 1922 INVENTOR. Ferd/r7600 F/Wayy/ y yif I, "1

Patented Mar. 13, 1923.

NETE

FERDINAND F. MAGGIE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

WAITERS TRAY.

Application filed March 22, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND F. Maser, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, county, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and use ful Waiters Tray, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a tray adapted more particularly for use by waiters or bus boys and embodies certain novel features which particularly commends it for use in the returning of soiled dishes to the kitchen.

The trays now employed are usually pro- Vided with a relatively flat bottom, the marginal edges of which are turned up abruptly to form a dish shaped tray and the upper edges of these marginal flanges are flanged outwardly to form a rolled or flat tray margin. Trays thus formed abruptly slope from their margins to the bottom flat portion of the tray on all sides of the tray and provide a relatively deep, sharply defined upper tray surface depression.

The waiter or bus boy whose duty it is to return the used or soiled dishes to the kitchen stacks such dishes in the recess of such tray and returns them to the kitchen, whereupon it is necessary, in order to re move them from the tray to pick the dishes up and set them on the table or in a wash ing trough or machine. This operation takes time and it is the object of the present invention to so construct the tray that the manual removing of the dishes in the kitchen is rendered unnecessary. This advantage is accomplished by so constructing the tray that at its lateral edges, it will have not sharply defined upstanding flanges or borders, but, on the contrary, the base of the depression will generally slope from the base of the depression to the lateral edges of the tray. When dishes are stacked or piled on such a tray, they may be slid off of the tray on to a table top or into the washing trough or machine by simply tilting the tray to allow the dishes to gravitate down the slope thereof.

In the prior trays, this practice was impossible as the lowermost dishes would catch upon the sharply defined edge of the tray recess and preclude the sliding of such lowermost dishes off of the tray, while the superimposed dishes would slide over the lower or restrained dishes and result in breakage.

In the tray of the present invention dishes Serial No. 545,710.

may be carried to the kitchen on the tray in stacked relation and upon a tilting of the tray may be slid off on to a table top in an easy and expeditious manner, so as to leave the dishes in stacked relation and without breakage.

Features of the invention, other than those specified, will be apparent from the hereinafter description and claims, when read in conjunction with the accompaying drawings.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one practical embodiment of the invention, but the construction therein shown, is to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure l is a top perspective view of a tray embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2. Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3; and, I

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the manner in which the tray may be employed to automatically and efliciently deposit dishes from a tray on to a table top.

The tray of the present invention may be constructed of any suitable material and may be of any'marginal contour, though for the purpose of illustration, I have shown the tray as of substantially rectangular contour.

The tray is so formed that its transverse section in one direction is as shown in Figure 2, wherein it will be noted that the medial portion 1 of the bottom thereof is substantially flat, while the lateral portions 2 thereof flowwith a smooth even sweep in an upward direction to the lateral margins of the tray, where the material is curled or turned back upon itself as shown at 3 to give a finished edge.

The longitudinal section of the tray may be the same as shown in Figure 2, but as the tray of this character is not easily grasped at its edges, for the carrying of the weight of a number of dishes, such longitudinal section of the tray is preferably as shown in Figure 3. As illustrated in this figure, the bottom of the tray is longitudinally fiat for the greater portion of its length and is turned up abruptly as at 4 to the top of the tray, where it is provided with outwardly extending flanges 5, the free edges of which are returned upon themselves or curled as shown at 6 to give finished edges. The four corners of the tray are preferably rounded and the finished edges 6 at the ends of the Ill) , of the tray,

"tilted, after the manner shown in Figure 4,

tray flow into and form a continuation of the finished lateral edges '3. Moreover, the long sweeping curves ofthe transverse section of the tray intersect with the abrupt longitudinal curves at the ends of the tray the dishes stacked upon the tray may gravitate down the inclined surface-of one of the lateral portions 2 in such manner that they will partake 'of an'uninterrupted path tothe table top, as will be apparent from Figure 4, wherein a stack of dishes are designated by the reference character 7 and the table top by the referencecharacter 8.

It will be apparent from a comparison of the sections of Figures '2 and 3 that while the dishes will readily slide from the section ure 3 would in nowise be feasible.

clearly shows applicants invention as dis ,tinct from prior trays.

of Figure 2, the sliding of the dishes in the manner described from the section of FiglVhile I provide convenient and service'able'handles, in the' form of flanges 5, at the ends of the tray, I so form the tray transversely that when it is tilted, the dishes on the tray will slide therefrom along a. substantially unbroken path tobe deposited upon the table top without fear of breakage and substantially in the same relation to one another as they occupied while on the tray.v

In the foregoing detailed description of the invention, 1 have set forththe same in This its preferred practical form; I am aware, however, that details of construction may be varied as by the substitution of equivalents without departing from this invention which is to be understood as broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claims.

Havingthus fully described the invention,

what I claim as-newand desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. A waiters tray having: a transverse cross section which is substantially'flat in the medial line of thetray and which curves in long sweeping curves to the said tray having a longitudinal section which is flat for the upwardly lateral edges of the; tray,

greater portion of its length, but turned up abruptly adjacent its opposite ends, and pro- Vided with outwardly projecting rying the tray.

2. A waiters tray, the 7 cross 1 sectional shape of which curves downwardly from the opposite the greater portion of the width of the tray and isv substantially flat for the medial portion of the width of the tray, and having a longitudinal section which is flat for the greater portion of the length of the tray, but

which turns up abruptly adjacent either'end of the tray. i

3. A waiters tray, the cross sectional shape of which curves downwardly from tile opposite lateral edges of. the tray for t e tion of the width of the'tray, and having a longitudinal section which is fiat for the greater portion of the length of the tray, but which turns up abruptly adjacent either end'of the tray, and terminates in outwardly projecting flanges at the opposite ends of'the tray to afford handles for carrying the tray.

In testimony whereof l'have signed the foregoing specification. v

FERDINAND F. MAGGI.

flanges at its opposite ends to provide handles for carlateral edges of the tray for greater portion of the width of the tray and is substantially fiat for the'medial por- 

